Film hanger



Dec. 24, -1957 w. w. VAUGHAN FILM HANGER Filed Dec. 25, 1955 ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent Ofiice 2,817,280 Patented Dec. 24, 1957 FILM HANGERWalter W. Vaughan, Durham, N. C.

Application December 23, 1955, Serial No. 555,033

2 Claims. (Cl. 95-100) The present invention relates generally tohangers for film or similar material, and more particularly to a type ofhanger which is adapted to support large photographic negatives whilethey are being developed or dried.

Conventional film hangers are characterized by a plurality of clips,each of which must be manipulated separately when the film is beingclamped in position or released. This procedure is awkward andtime-consuming, and the film may be subjected to rough handling unlessextreme care is used.

To obviate these difiiculties, the present invention has incorporated asingle operating member whereby a plurality of clamping members disposedabout the frame may be opened or closed.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide afilm hanger having convenient and eflicient clamping means whereby filmmay be readily clamped into position or released, and whereby theseoperations may be performed with a minimum amount of manipulation.

Another object is to provide a film hanger which will clamp the filmsecurely in a taut position and thereby protect it against any tendencyto wrinkle or bend.

Another object is to provide a film hanger whereon film may be readilyand accurately positioned before being clamped.

A further object is to provide a film hanger which is light in weightand easy to handle.

A further object is to provide a film hanger which is simple in design,economical to manufacture, and durable In use.

Other objects, features, and advantages will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the film hanger shown hereretaining a film in clamped condition, but showing as well in phantomlines the device in open condition;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the device in open condition.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the film hanger, generallyindicated by the numeral 1, is essentially in the form of a rectangularframe having side members 2 and 3, a bottom member 4, and a support bar5 which constitutes the upper member of the frame. Support bar 5includes an extension 5' which may be used as a handle. In the preferredform of the invention, a single stiff wire is shaped to form members 2,3, and 4, and the upper extremities of members 2 and 3 are secured insuitable spaced relation on the main portion 6 of support member 5 byWelding, soldering, or the like. Support member 5 is formed of a stripof sheet metal, and is folded along the upper longitudinal edge thereofto form a flange '7 extending laterally forward from the top of the mainportion 6. The upper extremities of members 2 and 3 may be bent inwardlyunder the flange 7 to provide a more secure connection.

Sheet metal struts 8 and 9 are suitably secured over the frame adjacentthe lower corners thereof, extending from the outer portions of member 4to the lower portions of members 2 and 3, respectively. Similarly, sheetmetal tabs 10 and 11 are secured on the upper portions of members 2 and3, extending inwardly therefrom toward the center of the frame.

A pair of foot members 12 and 13 are secured beneath the outerextremities of member 4 and extend laterly forward to effect stop meanswhereby a film positioned against the struts 8 and 9 and tabs 10 and 11can be guided into position.

A wire shaft 14 is rotatably mounted in apertures 15 and 16 which areprovided in opposed relation on the foot member 12 and the flange 7respectively. Caps 17 and 18 at the extremities of shaft 14 serve tokeep it in assembled position. The shaft 14, thus mounted, extendsparallel to the side member 2, lying a short distance inward and forwardtherefrom, and may be further supported with respect to said side memberby means of one or more bands 19 which are rigidly secured at one end tosaid side member and extend therefrom to loosely encircle said shaft.

A clamping tab 21 is rigidly mounted at the lower end of shaft 14 and isadapted to cooperate with strut 9 to clamp the edge of a filmtherebetween upon rotation of said shaft. Similarly, a clamping tab 22is mounted on the upper portion of shaft 14, being positioned so as tocooperate with tab 10 in order to clamp the film therebetween. Tabs 21and 22 are mounted in the same plane, so that an appropriate rotation ofthe shaft 14 will serve to bring both of said tabs into clampingposition.

In order to supplement the gripping action of the clamps, gripping meansmay be employed. For example, in the present instance, holes 23 and 24are formed in the clamping tabs 21 and 22 respectively, being punchedtherethrough in such a way as to form protrusions 25 and 26 on therespective undersides of said tabs.

A second shaft 27 is provided in symmetrically opposed relation to shaft14 and rotatably mounted in opposed apertures 28 and 29 in foot member13 and flange 7 respectively. The shaft 27, retained in assembledposition by caps 30 and 31 at its outer ends, is provided with coplanarclamping tabs 32 and 33 which simultaneously co-operate with strut 9 andtab 11, respectively, upon proper rotation of said shaft. Punch holes 34and 35 are provided to form protrusions 36 and 37 for gripping purposes.The second shaft is therefore constructed and operated in the mannerheretofore described with respect to shaft 14.

To rotate the shaft 14, a small lever 38 is rigidly secured to the upperportion thereof and extends diagonally forward and inward therefrom. Acorresponding, but symmetrically opposed, lever 39 is provided on theshaft 27 for rotation thereof.

A circular disk 40 is provided, having an opening 41 in the centerthereof whereby said disk may be rotatably mounted upon a bracket 42 bymeans of a pin 43. The bracket 42 is in turn rigidly secured to mainportion 6 of member 5 at a point intermediate the two side members 2 and3 and extends downward and forward therefrom so that the disk 40 isretained in a position directly between levers 38 and 39.

A pair of sheet metal thumb pieces 44 and 45 are secured to the face ofdisk 40 to facilitate rotation thereof.

Stiff wires 46 and 47 form an operable connection between the disk 40and the levers 38 and 39 respectively. Wire 46 is hooked at its outerend through an aperture 48 formed in the lever 38 and extends inward,passing under the thumb piece 44, along the face of the disk 40, andthrough an aperture 49, formed on the opposite side of said disk. A cap50 on the inner end of wire 46 retains said wire in assembled relationwith respect to aperture 49. Similarly, wire 47 is hooked at one endthrough an aperture 51 in lever 39, extending inwardly therefrom overthe thumb piece 45 and along the face of disk 40 to be secured in anaperture 52 on the opposite side of said disk by means of a cap 53.

Apertures 49 and 52 are disposed at diametrically opposite sides of disk40 and when the rotation of disk 40 brings both of said apertures intothe same horizontal plane, the wires 46 and 47 draw the levers 38 and 39to their innermost position, bringing clamping tabs 21 and 22 andclamping tabs 32 and 33 into clamping position by rotation of the shafts14 and 27, as previously described. In this position, the wires 46 and47 extend past the thumb pieces 44 and 45 and are slightly spacedtherefrom. Thus a slight additional counterclockwise rotation of thedisk 40 will bring said wires into contact with said thumb pieces in anover-center position, thereby locking the device in clamped position asillustrated by the full lines on Fig. l, by virtue of the tension ofsaid wires.

When disk 40 is rotated approximately 90 in a clock wise direction fromthe full-line position of Fig. 1, levers 38 and 39 are moved outwardly,thus rotating shafts 14 and 27 until clamping tabs 21, 22, 32 and 33 arein an open position, as best illustrated in Fig. 4.

It will therefore be seen that when the film hanger is in use, theoperator need only apply a simple twist to thumb pieces 44 and 45 inorder to open the apparatus, whereupon a film may be placed upon thestruts 8 and 9 and tabs 10 and 11 and squared up against foot members 12and 13. Then a single swist in the reverse direction will bring the fourclamping tabs 21, 22, 32 and 33 into clamping position at the fourcorners of the film, and will securely lock the apparatus to provide afirm and taut support for the film.

It is to be understood that while only one form of the invention isdisclosed here, many modifications in structure, dimension, and designcan be made without departing from the scope of the invention or thespirit of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A film hanger, comprising: a frame having side members; a pair ofshafts rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent to said side members; aplurality of clamping tabs mounted on each of said shafts and adaptedfor pivotal movement with respect to said frame upon rotation of saidshafts; fixed means mounted on said frame and presenting clampingsurfaces adjacent to said side members for cooperation with said tabswhereby material may be clamped between said fixed means and said tabsby pivotal movement of said tabs; levers secured on said shafts forrotation of said shafts; an actuating member mounted on said framebetween said levers, said member being mounted for rotationsubstantially in the plane of said frame; and link means connecting saidlevers to said actuating member on opposite sides of the point ofrotation, whereby rotation of said actuating member actuates said leversto rotate said shafts and eflect pivotal movement of said clamping tabs.

2. A film hanger as defined in claim 1 including locking meanscomprising pivotal connections between said link means and saidactuating member, said connections being so disposed as to permit saidlink means to assume an over-center position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS567,596 Kaiser Sept. 15, 1896 793,978 Beidler July 4, 1905 1,361,767Leiter Dec. 7, 1920 1,666,895 Gollomb Apr. 24, 1928 1,854,931 GollombApr. 19, 1932

